Combination trunk and luggage carrier



Deg. s, 1936. v

E. A. ARNDT COMBINATION TRUNK AND LUGGAGE CARRIER- Filed July 25, 1952 Patented Dec. 8, 1936 PATENT OFFIQE COMBINATION TRUNK AND LUGGAGE CARRIER Ernest A. Arndt, Sioux City, Iowa Application July 25, 1932, Serial N6. 624,485

6 Claims.

' My present invention relates to a combination trunk andlugga'ge carrier of the general kind shown in my Patent No. 1,792,798 and contemplates improvement upon the latch construction for a trunk of this or similar character.

One object of the invention is to provide for a trunk having a fixedand a movable trunk member and a lid for the movable trunk member, a means to latch the movable trunk member in closed position relative to the fixed trunk member, such means being entirely independent of the hinging movement of the cover whereby when the cover israised, the movable trunk member may still'be'retained in closed position relative to the fixed trunk member.

A further object is to provide a fixed trunk member having. a ledge and a movable trunk member having a cross bar for coaction therewith and latch devices of novel character for latching the two together when it is desired to retain the trunk in a non-extended position.

Still a further object is .to provide a gasket between the cross bar and the ledge to be compressed by the latch devices and prevent entrance of .water into the trunk when in closed position. i 1

Still a further object is to provide a latch device which can only be unlatched when the cover isin raised position, whereby when the cover is in locked position, thetrunk cannot be moved to extended position by an unauthorized person.

Still a further object is to provide one type of latch which may be retained in either latched or unlatched position when the cover is in closed position relative'to the movable trunk member. Anotherobject is: to provide the cross bar in the form of a hinge bar to which the cover can be hinged, L-shaped members being used for connecting the ends of the cross bar to the sides of the movable trunk member.

With these and other'objects in view my invention consists in the 'construction, arrangement andcombination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is aside elevation, parts being broken away and'oth'er parts shown in section illustrating a combination trunk and luggage carrier embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2--2 of Figure 1 showing the parts on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 showing the parts further enlarged.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an L-shaped connector member used in my construction.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a modified form of latch.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Figure 5 showing the modified form of latch on a slightly reduced scale.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view on the line l'l of Figure 1 showing a hinge construction for my combination trunk and luggage car-- 10 rier; and a Figure 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 7;

. On the accompanying drawing, I have used the reference character A to indicate the fixed 1 trunk member of a combination trunk and luggage carrier. ,The reference character B indicates a movable trunk member. The member B is hinged at H) relative to the member A.

The member A has a bottom H to which a flange iDa of the hinge I0 is secured. The member A also has a front wall l2, side walls l4 and a ledge It at the upper end of the front wall I2. The movable member B has a back wall I8 and side walls 20. The other flange iilb of the hinge l0 terminates in a portion Ilia which may be spot welded or otherwise secured to the back wall iii of the member B. i The wall 53 is of double thickness construction having an inner wall lea spaced from the wall [8. The upper forward edges of the movable member B are rigidly connected together by a hinge bar 22.

The hinge bar 22 is connected with the side walls 20 by L-shaped members 24.

A lid or cover 26 is hinged at 28 to the hinge bar 22.

A gasket 30' is positioned on the top of the ledge l6 and is retained thereon by a longitudinally extending metal clip 32 engaging over the rear edge of theledge l6 and over a bead 30a of the gasket 3B. When the parts of the trunk are in closed position, the hinge bar 22 contacts with the gasket 30 as shown in Figure 3. For positively retaining these parts in contact and compressing the gasket 30 to prevent the entrance of water at this point, I provide latch mechanisms, each comprising a U-shaped bracket 34, a handle 36 and a hook '38. The bracket 34 is secured to the hinge bar 22 and the L-shaped member 24 by a rivet A0. The handle 36 is pivoted on a pin 42 carried by the bracket 34. The hook 338 is pivoted on a pin 44 carried by the handle 35. Washers 45 are interposed between the hook 38 and the sides of the handle 32 which is U-shaped, as shown in the drawing. The hook 38 is of resilient material and is adapted to engage a bead 46 formed on the undersurface of the ledge I6.

The L-shaped member 24, in addition to the rivet 46, may be spot-welded to the hinge bar 22 to retain these two parts in rigid connection with each other. It is provided with openings 48 to receive rivets 50 for riveting it to the side 20 of the movable member of the trunk.

It is also provided with a perforated ear 52 to which a lid support 54 is pivoted.

The member 24 has a flange 25 adapted to support a gasket 21 for the lid 26. There is also provided a flange. 29 at the corner for reinforc ing the L-shaped member 24.

With the parts in the latched position of Figure 3, it will be noted that a line between thelower end of the hook 38 and the pivot pin 44' is over center relative to the pivot 42, whereby the' resiliency of the hook 38 retains the parts in latched position. By swinging the lever 36 to the dotted line position, the hook 38 will be unhooked so that the trunk member B can be opened or extended relative to the trunk member A. Access to the latch handle 36, however, can be had only by raising the lid 26 so that when the movable member of the trunk is in latched position and the cover 26 is locked in closed position, the trunk cannot be opened to an extended position. After the lid 26 is unlocked, however, it may be raised and the trunk is used in non-extended position with the parts 36 and 38 latched or they can be unlatched and the trunk can be extended for carrying additional luggage. The action of the cover 26 has no effect upon the latch as in my prior patent hereinbefore referred to.

In Figures 5 and 6, I have shown a modified latch 36a having an integral cam-shaped hook portion 38a. The latch 36a is pivoted at 42a directly to a flange of the hinge bar 22.

The ledge l6 has an opening |6a therethrough, while the gasket 30 has an opening 30a therethrough, both for the hook 380. to extend through. The hinge bar 22 also has an opening 22a for the hook 38a to extend through.

An abutment 46a in the form of a bar across the opening Mia and secured to the flange I6 is adapted to have the hook 380. engage therewith for drawing the hinge bar 22 against the gasket 36 and compressing the gasket, especially around the opening 36a to prevent the entrance of rain.

As shown in Figure 6, it will be noted that both the latched (full line) and unlatched (dotted line) positions of the lever 36a are such that the lever cannot be moved to the other position except when the lid 26 is raised. This serves to insure that the latches will remain latched while the lid 26 is closed and unlatched when the trunk is extended so that when it is again moved to nonextended position, the hooks 38a will not be in the way of the cross bars 46a when moving the movable trunk member to non-extended position.

In both forms of the invention, the latch is entirely independent of the cover 26, yet nonaccessible except when the cover is opened, when it is desired to latch or unlatch the latches.

The hinge In, it will be noted, is of offset construction so that the attaching flange I is spaced rearwardly of the hinge pin. This permits of a rounded corner l9 (see Figure between the back and side walls l8 and 20 without the radius of this corner interfering with the action of the hinge from the full line closed position of Figure 8 to the dotted line open position thereof.

Some changes may be made in the construcadapted to assume a position adjacent said ledge when said movable trunk member is in closed relationshipto said fixed trunk member, a latch angle members connecting said sides together in spaced relationship, said hinge bar being adapted to assume a position adjacent said ledge when said movable trunk member is in closed relationship to said fixed trunk member, a latch device to retain said hinge bar in such position and a cover for said trunk hinged to said hinge bar, said latch device being pivoted to said hinge bar and having a resilient hook to engage said ledge.

3. A fixed trunk member having a ledge, a movable trunk member having sides, a hinge bar and angle members connecting said sides together in spaced relationship, said hinge bar being adapted to assume a position adjacent said ledge when said movable trunk member is in closed relationship to said fixed trunk member, a gasket between said ledge and said hinge bar, a latch device to retain said hinge bar in such position and compress said gasket, and a cover for said trunk hinged to said hinge bar.

4. A fixed trunk member having a ledge, a movable trunk member, having sides, a hinge bar and angle members connecting said sides together in spaced relationship, said hinge bar being adapted to assume a position adjacent said ledge when said movable trunk member is in closed relationship to said fixed trunk member, a gasket between said ledge and said hinge bar, a latch device to retain said hinge bar in such position and compress said gasket, said gasket and ledge having openings for said latch device to extend through, an abutment on said ledge for said latch device to engage, and a cover for said trunk hinged to said hinge bar and covering said latch device when in closed position.

5. A fixed trunk member having a ledge, a movable trunk member having sides, a hinge bar connecting said sides together in spaced relationship, said hinge bar being adapted to assume a position adjacent said ledge when said movable trunk member is in closed relationship to said fixed trunk member, a gasket between said ledge and said hinge bar, a latch lever, a resilient hook on said lever, said lever and hook being adapted to operatively engage the ledge and hinge bar therebetween to retain said hinge bar in such position and said lever operating on said hook to cause it to compress said gasket and a cover for said trunk hinged to said hinge bar.

6. A fixed trunk member having a ledge, a movable trunk member having sides, a hinge bar connecting said sides together in spaced rela member is in closed relationship to said fixed trunk member, a gasket between said ledge and said hinge bar, a latch device operatively connecting said ledge and hinge bar to retain said hinge bar in such position, said latch device including a cam, means engaged by said cam, said cam being shaped for drawing said hinge bar into such position and to cause it to compress said gasket against said ledge, means for so actuating said cam and a cover for said trunk hinged to said hinge bar.

ERNEST A. ARNDT. 

